Origins
by Melda Sila
Summary: After months of hope and prayers, no word has come from throughout the galaxies about the lost heroes of Puckworld. Though the avian planet is rising from the ashes, the beloved are not forgotten to their home.  Lots of OCs
1. Foundations Laid

**A/N:** This is the first chapter for the origin story of the Second Strike Force, a team of commandos sent to find the ducks on what should have been a quick mission through the galaxy. What starts out as an easy intergalactic mission turns into a foreign relations disaster as they traverse the galaxy looking for the lost heroes of Puckworld, and causing mayhem in the process.

Foundations Laid

Today was a day I knew I would never forget, I just didn't know why yet. It was that sixth sense in me that screamed foul play as I breathed deep. The breaths were in perfect synchronization with my fingers as they collided with the top of a cheap oak end table, crying out for something to smash. I was sitting in silence with my three soon-to-be teammates in a dank little crap hole of a waiting room as we waited for our deaths to be written. Our idealism was just as fatal as the drakes that still clung to the hope that Puckworld could be restored after its demise. It was foolish beyond belief, and deadly to even the best trained warrior. Idealism always is, though.

As my mind wandered on our certain perils, I felt my heart racing faster, and my fingers followed suit. I didn't even realize how loud I was being until I received a sharp elbow in the side from the tan drake sitting next to me, who shot me a short, sharp glare. It wasn't enough to threaten me, just enough to annoy me and make me relieve the wood table of the beating I was giving it.

My teammate, a very serious and wise drake, sat consumed in his own thought and agony for the decision that was being made. I could see the pain in his eyes, and his fear of the outcome consumed his features, making it much older than his twenty-seven years should've allowed. I suppose that's what happens to even the youngest of hearts when a hostile race takes over your planet, though.

"What do you think is going on in there?" I asked, breaking the thick layer of ice that kept our conversation frozen in place.

"It doesn't really matter." He responded coolly, turning away from me. I knew he only did so to hide the torture that devoured his whole demeanor and turned it into an angst factory. I couldn't blame him though. Caden lost so much more than I did in the takeover, I was in no position to demonize his pain. I hated to admit, but I admired him more than I cared to ever share with him, or anyone else for that matter. His face was bold, with sharp curves and rough, sandpaper colored feathers. His beak was the better of ten inches, and was a deep pumpkin orange, expanding widely at the tip, coming from a narrow base where his frowned made it turn inward. His eyes were a beautiful chocolate brown, full of life that was lived in the understanding, the truth, that our lives were meaningless.

I finally managed to hear a drowned, mangled sigh escape his turned away face, caving into the hopelessness we secretly shared, intoxicating us both. We know what was waiting for us, for _all_ of us. My mind paused mentally as I turned away, breaking the unrequited attraction as I leaned into to read the magazine that the stout medic sitting next to me was paging through.

McKayla was funny bird, or so I had discovered in the short time I had known her. I kind of liked her, with her hopeless attraction to being messianic and God-like simultaneously. I couldn't tell what she enjoyed more, the power of life over her patients, or actually helping them. To me, she seemed a tragic mallard caught in between the desire for control, and helping her patients realize that no matter how good of doctor she was, she was no cure for mortality.

Mortality. I didn't know why, but the word made me smile, and cringe at the same time. It was so revealing, so sharp. It made the contrast between the mundane everyday duties I carried out, and the revelation that I learned from the takeover. It challenged me to have the courage to live, no matter how pointless it was. The one thing it did not change, however, was that I was stuck, waiting for this damned general to make up his mind about our fate.

I decided to occupy myself by studying McKayla closer, to try and learn her shape, and oddly soft appearance for such a witty and cutting woman. She had a round face, which was, from what I had heard, very regular for the Vanderflock family en masse. They may have been the genius family on the army block, but that didn't seem to stop this girl from caring about her appearance. Even in the face of such dark imagery in the infirmary that had surely been part of her daily life, she still took the time and effort to be utterly feminine. Her monochromatic outfit consisted of a burnt yellow peasant blouse, complete with a golden-brown pencil skirt that fell to her knees. Completing the charming little outfit were a pair of brown ankle boots, and a smooth, chocolate-colored silk headband that tied back her shoulder-length blonde hair. I wasn't sure how to feel about such a luxurious look for someone who spent so much time around death and truth. If anyone should have known how pointless it was to waste time on appearances, it should've been her. I suppose that shows just how stubborn and resilient the nature of hope is. It shows up even when it's more of an injustice than that cheerful gung-ho spirit that's supposed to help out the heroes when they need it most. If that really were the case, we wouldn't be sitting here, still waiting on this pathetic excuse for a drake.

I was just about to break through the door to insanity when a ringing at the secretary's desk shocked me back to the reality of the small, burnt smelling office. '_Bout time._ I wanted to mumble, but managed to hold it in for the sake of my comrades.

"General McMallard will see you now." The too-cheery secretary squawked before standing and leaving us in the small, burnt office, filled with hope, truth, and reality.

"I guess it's time then." My last teammate, a young fire-haired drake mumbled, dragging himself to his feet. "Time to face the music."

I don't know why I didn't pay more attention to Harland at that moment. Maybe it was because my sixth sense was kicking in, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something about him was eerily familiar. It wasn't just the family resemblance, it was something else that was bothering me, but I just couldn't put my wing on it.

"Yeah," Caden sighed, following suit, "let's hope it's not a country song for our sake."

"Our sake?" McKayla chirped, throwing down the years-old magazine. "I thought we were here for something bigger than just our own pathetic existence."

We all eyed Caden for his reaction, as his motives were purer than the rest of us who were standing in the office. He seemed collected, but I could tell he was being subtle about his true feelings. Personally I felt it was only right, though being in love with someone will make you think that. He didn't respond with anything more than just a passive sigh as he opened the door into the adjacent room. His internal strength of passivity amazed me, even if I thought it was stupid and weak. I was the last to stand and leave the bliss of hope, and enter the realm of the knowledge of our fate, as we one-by-one passed through to our new life, and the adventure that we never saw coming.

Luxury was not an affordable commodity for the healing planet they had been cursed with. The General of the Armed Forces of Puckworld (his official BS title, I always thought) had an office barely big enough to fit the handful of ducks who were all trying to inhabit the same space. We were all under thirty, excluding the General, who was probably the oldest drake in the army mostly because he was _still_ alive even after being in countless interplanetary wars. That, and the old bastard just wouldn't die.

It amused me how young the army was, because even though our bodies might have been young, are minds sure weren't. Serenity, our supposed "leader" according to Caden, was a tender nineteen years of age. She was way too young to be leading any sort of team, but Caden put her up to it, and she was an anxious young mallard who set out to prove she could be just as infamous as her relatives.

Thinking about her made me wondered just what the girl was thinking (I couldn't call her a woman, she barely seemed developed enough to be a teenager let alone an adult) and I tossed a look over to the silver feathered mallard. Though it was ridiculous in the army, she managed to argue her way into keep her waist-length burgundy hair. It was pinned back, though it didn't matter much anyway as she had bangs that swept across her forehead that threatened to cut off her line of vision. I never found long hair to be rational at all. The maintenance for it, coupled with the hazard of it being used against you in a fight seemed more than unjustifiable. Somehow, though, this girl had managed to make the ridiculous possible. A true testament to her leadership capabilities, I'm sure.

Serenity was young, but I had to confess I had seen her in combat and in tactical decision making, and she was sharp for her age. She was wise beyond her years, but still inexperienced and prone to rookie mistakes. Even now, eye-to-eye with a commander such as the general, I could feel her hesitation thick in the air. She might be strong hearted, but leaving her to argue our purposes was probably not in our best interests. Not that Caden would listen to me about that, he was too enamored with her being the front drake, citing her enthusiasm and her own vested interest in the mission as reasoning. Still, I couldn't help but feeling we were in over our heads with this one.

"Welcome, friends. How are you all?" The general greeted blandly in his old, deep voice. He was a war-torn man in his mid-fifties with salt and pepper hair riddling the top of his peachy feathers. He looked wise, or maybe it was just smart-assish. His features always irked me, though, because he seemed to have that permanent look on his beak that was a cross between dismay for every word you said and every action you took, and a smirk that sung out his self-righteous arrogance in his decisions. I knew we were doomed, but I played along anyway.

A mixture of grunts and "oks" filled the air. I wasn't sure how he expected us to feel with the chaos that surrounded us, but I just mumbled my own words of acquiesces and folded my typical sarcasm into compliance with the other murmurs.

"Well," the General said, "I'm sure you're all anxious to hear just what Serenity and I have been chatting about for so long." He spoke so casually I felt anger rise in my being from my deepest core. _Chatting._ As if we're sitting around a cozy fire and sipping tea while the Saurians dragged our asses through the mud for two years. Yeah, we'll _chat_ all right. I thought to myself, my eyes growing dark and my face growing red.

Caden beat me to the punch in telling him off, though, spouting off a quick glare and adding, "Sir, I feel that those are not words we should be using."

_So polite. So Caden. _I inhaled, pulling back in all the intensity and restraining it inside.

"Yes, I see why you would think so, Caden." He sighed, turning his head towards the little wooden window to his right, eyeing the fledglings playing outside his window. They pretended to beat each other with fake punches and blows, playing Saurians and mine workers. It was a common game amongst young children now. The ones that had survived, anyway.

"I guess I'm just trying to make light of this, not that's its entirely appropriate. You all know what I have already lost," His seemed to bite his own beak, passing a bleak look to Harland. "You all know how I feel about messianic missions. They're great as legends about DuCaine, but for my army, I find them to be wasteful of time and resources for what they tend to accomplish."

I could feel the hearts of every one of my would-be teammates drop like pucks through thin ice. We knew what the risk was bringing this to the attention of the general given his track record of missions like this. We had all hoped, though, that given the tenderness of the participants and his own personal involvement that he would listen to reason. I didn't think he would break, but I had to try anyway. Holding myself back was something I had trained myself to do well as a disciplined soldier. I was trained to hold back when it was optimal and speaking concisely and appropriately as a soldier. But now, given the circumstances, I couldn't hold it in any longer.

"General McMallard, how can you let go of one of _your own children_ without a fight! I can't believe you." I hissed sharply. He merely held up his hand in response and chided me with a clicking of his tongue in between his mandarin colored beak.

"Kalina, I would think you know better. Yes, typically I do not approve of such missions. But, given the circumstances, I can see that not allowing you to go would only cause resentment from not only you all sitting here, but also many within these very halls." He turned and waved symbolically towards the wall. "We all want to find them and bring them home. I miss my daughter, just as I'm sure Caden misses his brother." He nodded knowingly to Caden, who sat passively next to me. He was still fighting off his own emotions and he turned away from the general, not being able to withstand his own broken heart.

"However, we have to be smart about this." He paused and nodded towards Serenity.

His coyness was killing me. I was a disciplined soldier, but not a patient one. "Well, spit it out then," I encouraged in an aggressive tone.

He merely shook his head at me and smiled, nodding in agreement. "Yes, well, I should be more straightforward considering my audience. I guess I've become a bit of a diplomat in my old age. I've authorized a six-avian team and three months-worth of supplies, as well as the usage of one of the Resistance's new Soar Wings. Serenity will be your team captain, and Caden will serve as her lieutenant. You will receive your exact orders when the briefing file has been put together, but for now we'll work on team placement." He nodded towards Serenity, who in returned nodded to us.

"The General has approved us under certain conditions. That being said, there's going to be a change in the line-up."

I wasn't scared of this, but I knew who was. If losing one kid wasn't bad enough, losing a second was out of the question for the general. We must have all been thinking the same as we all simultaneously glanced in worry to Harland. He swallowed hard, looking away from all of us. We could tell he was going to be upset, but how upset was the question.

"Harland," Serenity spoke softly, gently placing her hands on his shoulders. "We just can't justify bringing you with right now. The rebuilding is delicate, and you're one of the best soldiers—"

"Yeah, sure, justify it all you want," he spat, pushing his chair out and making a beeline towards the window, away from the dejecting humiliation of being thrown off the team. "You can talk all day Serenity, the point is I just don't cut it." He pushed his slight frame against the cold metal that separated his from the inclement weather. The boys had disappeared now, and a gentle snow was drifting down from the cloudy sky. Even though I knew it was probably better not to take the kid, I couldn't help but feel bad for him.

"And who's going to watch out for her, hmm?" He asked, directly to the general, facing his own father with contempt, and seeming hatred in his eyes. Even I would have been afraid of the kid under these circumstances.

"We are reassigning your position to someone more suited for the job." His father stated blankly, as if his very own son were any other soldier being reassigned.

Harland wasn't going to take it, though; his eyes were filled to the brim with anger. "Oh, and who is better suited to this than your own flesh and feathers, _dad._" He pointed angrily, staring him down. I felt his pain from years of resentment built inside from my own father, but I could barely stand to take this family drama anymore. This belonged on an intergalactic family play, not inside a military office. Luckily we were saved from the young drake's tirade when the door to the cramped little office opened.

Two mallards stepped into the office, one with bright red hair (clearly a McMallard) and one whose figure I knew all too well. My initial reaction was to suck in my breath and try to not think about the drake standing behind me. I prayed to DuCaine that he was a figment of my imagination, that he was either not there or I was dreaming. Stars, I hoped so. I was not about to share my glory with this little punk, this little piece of—

"Team, these are our new comrades." Serenity gestured to the ducks that had just walked in, both of whom seemed a little startled by the statement.

"Comrades?" The red head asked cautiously, eyeing the General with confusion spread across her young features. She looked even younger than Serenity, and I had a hard time believing that _this_ kid was coming with us over Harland.

It didn't take long for Harland to recognize her, though. He took one look at her and shot his father a glare that would have killed a civilian in an instant. "What is she doing here?" He hissed.

"Amber is here to learn. She has her formal training starting soon, and I feel that this mission will be an excellent field test for her. It is highly specialized, being direct enough and well supervised by trained peers that she will perfectly safe. I trust her instincts, as she has proven herself to be an excellent soldier. She was top of her class in the academy before this whole mess started two years ago."

"Perfectly safe, yet you can't send me?" He crossed his arms in defiance, refusing to accept his father's judgment.

"That's enough Harland. I've taken enough of your criticism for today. When you run the Puckworld Armed Forces you can make that decision, but my word is _final._" He stood up, slamming his fists on the last word. "You are relieved of this mission, soldier. You can go rest and wait to be reassigned."

Harland finally took the hint and stepped towards the door, pausing by Amber long enough to whisper, "Be smart kid, don't get yourself killed." She smiled back, nudging him as he left the office.

While I found the sentiment touching, it was nice to finally have the drama queen gone. I wasn't so happy about the General's decision to let this kid come with us either, but she seemed capable enough of handling herself. Most kids were nowadays, and those that weren't needed to learn regardless. What I wanted to know was why my screw-up brother was standing in the doorway, disgracing our family.

Serenity sighed and went back to finish up her housekeeping. "Now that you've all met Amber, I'm sure you'd all like to know who our other friend is." She gestured to the tall, tan and built drake with a goofy smile I could never quite get out of my head. He stepped forward and nodded to us, then threw me a casual smile as if we were best friends. Like hell we were. I couldn't keep myself from rolling my eyes and shaking my head in dismay.

"Jason Lightwing reportin' for duty, ma'am." He crooned brightly, taking the seat previously inhabited by Harland.

"Thank you for that introduction, Jason." Serenity smiled approvingly. "General McMallard has asked that we bring Jason as a mechanic and general technician. The Soar Wing that we've been authorized to use is brand new technology, and could still have some glitches that may need to be worked out. Jason helped design it with the help of some of our more savvy allies, and he could be of great use to us. The general has generously offered to allow him to come with us."

"Great." I mumbled just loud enough for Caden to hear and kick the base of my chair for.

"Be nice." He whispered coolly. I knew it was probably wrong to dislike the drake so much considering his was partially my own blood, but I just couldn't get past my own mind replaying my entire childhood in my head, running through it over and over like a nightmare that kept me awake at night. Glancing at Caden, seeing the dismay laden in his eyes, I knew I should appreciate the fact that I still had a brother, but it didn't make me happy at all to have him tagging on my heels again. Birth order was enough, but him playing engineer for the mission was going to be the icing on the sibling rivalry cake.

"Alright," General McMallard stood, signaling for all of us to stand with him. "I feel that you all have a strong grasp on your mission, and now that you've met your new teammates, I suggest you get to training with them. You'll have about a week and a half to train together, and then your ship will take off on the first. You'll receive the rest of your instructions closer to your departure. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." We all chorused, and then each took turns shaking hands with the General. Serenity turned and gave him a slight nod, then led our little procession out of the office. I noticed Amber lag behind to speak with him, but didn't quite catch what they said as Caden pushed me out the door in front of him.

"Now the fun begins." He whispered to me as we exited the office, and entered our new lives as teammates, and intergalactic adventurers.


	2. Complications

Complications

I had no idea what I signed up for when Caden encouraged me to do this. I thought maybe I'd learn more about my long lost brother, someone I'd never know but always heard about. Maybe I'd even meet some of the "heroes" of Puckworld, if that's what they should be called. Then again, I was always sensitive about that word. Being on the flip side of the law teaches you to question whether you're the hero, or the person who's doing what's right. I don't know about Duke, but for me, I learned quickly that appearances don't mean anything. Someone could appear as sweet and angelic as a high school girl and really be an assassin about to strike your deathblow. Maybe that's why Caden picked me after all. I guess I grew up fast and hard being a part of Black Ink, it made me the girl made of metal that I am.

It left me no reassurance relying so heavily on the Resistance for our mission. Caden was a military man, for him it was natural to ask their help. For me, it was like a desperate last ditch effort. Black Ink wanted nothing to do with these heroes, and especially not Duke. The hated the Brotherhood with a passion, and were more than willing to teach me a lesson about loyalty. The pain still stung when I thought about the brothers and sisters I lost, but I knew I had to change with the world around me, or be drowned in this new Puckworld. Everyone was still freshly hurt from the pain of the invasion, and the Resistance was taking nothing from anyone who was still associated with old underground alliances.

_Reminiscing does me no good now. I've got to get some fresh air, get over this so I can lead this team._ I pushed myself out of my bed in the bunker I shared with McKayla, doing my best to be quiet as I pulled my trench coat over my shoulders and slipped out the door, and down through the corridor. It was early in the morning, as my insomnia loved to interrupt my only peace from consciousness. I glided down the halls silently, passing by late night guards and fellow insomniacs, until I reached the exit of the compound. Punching in the first code, the entrance patrolmen punched in his verification code, passed me a wink and the door slid open to the cool Puckworld air. _Freedom._

I breathed in deep, letting my boots hit the pavement with a satisfying splash in the puddles of melted snow. Just being outside was enough to let my mind clear and think about what had happened just a few days ago with the General. It had turned the entire base upside down when the General McMallard authorized the mission to find the "lost heroes of Puckworld" as they were now heralded. Not only was it unorthodox for the Resistance, the team itself was young. Many were criticizing the General for sending his last daughter on the mission. I wasn't sure what to think. After talking with her, she seemed enthusiastic about it. Her sister was her heroine; she was training to be just like her. For Amber, it seemed that going with them to find her sister and restore her to her home was not only a duty, but a privilege.

A ruined park lay just off my path, once a place of unbridled had been turned into a cripple symbol of the lost innocence of the young of Puckworld. I couldn't help but feel drawn to this place, the place I first took sat on swing, the first time I slid down a snow-covered plastic slide, filled to the brim with the innocence of childhood. I couldn't even rekindle it for a moment, scanning the area for any leftover androids from the invasion, checking the hotspots for hidden comptrollers and anyone else who would threaten my plan. No one. Just the snow, drifting down from the sky above. Just silence, meeting the inhabitants of Puckworld into another quiet night of peace. _Where are you?_ I begged the night sky, looking up into the stars above, searching for any sign of him, anything to tell me where my last hopes for family were. _Everyone else is gone. No one who wants me is left on this planet._

I stepped into the circular park, the fresh snow crunching under my boots. Mini hockey goals were set up on one side of the park, and hockey puck circles for climbing over stood half-broken from the invasion. It would take months for anyone to even consider rebuilding a park. There were barely any kids left, and they had just starting rebuilding the first school in DuCaine metropolis. The children that had survived, though, they were just as miserable as the ones that had perished. Over half of them had no parents, and the rest were lucky with one. Less than a quarter of the children who lived through it had both parents. That would all change once the nice weather hit. The pain would start to diminish; avians would start rebuilding their lives, and would start mating off with the remaining inhabitants as the world starting turning again. Rumors were filling the Resistance base of help that was being pledged from planets around the galaxy, not that I was going to be here to see it.

I took a seat on one of the oversized broken pucks that was stacked to look precarious to young ones, to encourage the spirit of DuCaine within all of them. I couldn't help but wonder if maybe that was exactly what we needed now, young drakes and mallards that could be stronger than we had been. I sucked in another deep breath of air, clean air, beautiful air, so much better than six months ago when it was filled with smoke and pollution from the work camps and towers. Too bad I wouldn't be here to see it. Unlike the rest of my teammates who hoped to be back in three months, I couldn't care less if we never came back. Black Ink hadn't just taken away my rights as a member, they stole my only family. Even if my parents weren't dead, they never would have taken me back. I wasn't theirs to begin with, and I spat in their beaks with all of their kindness and generosity. All I wanted was to find him, and maybe find something I never had before; a real brother. So far, Caden had been my biggest supporter, but it only made sense. He knew the pain of losing his only family left. Other than his wife, Caden had lost the rest of his family in the war. His father, a shrewd, intelligent general had overreached his own forces and been overtaken by Dragaunus' demi-lords trying to rescue a camp in the southern hemisphere. His mother had captured and killed as a prisoner of war, and his other brother had perished with a recent mission trying to overtake the last three remaining prison camps in the West.

I don't know why my mind was so focused on Caden, but I had to make this work for both of us. The General had been generous with his resources, but not with his people. It was going to be tough to make this work with such a young team, myself included. For a while I just sat on those pucks, thinking about them, this young crew that was going to go chasing these seven heroes across half the galaxy, and I wondered if they were even in our own universe. And what was worse, what happened if we couldn't find them? Do we go out again and search even further out? It didn't really matter, I suppose. Our first steps were already laid out in front of us. All we had to do was skate on the ice, regardless of how thin it would be.

Combat training, Resistance Training Barracks, 0700 hours the next day

I ducked swiftly as a combat boot was swung right towards my beak, in perfect roundhouse kicked to what would have been my face. I quickly rolled left, retaliating with a soft sweep to the legs. I heard Kalina snicker from the left of me as she went at it with Caden, pulling him into an arm lock which he quickly spun out of, pushing her to her knees. I smirked back and winked at Caden, who had no problem reminding her of her own insufficiencies. I spun back around to see Amber shaking off the kick and slowly getting up, slower than I liked.

"You ok, Amber?"

The teen nodded and smiled, chirping, "Yeah, can't keep a McMallard down long." She leaned down and stretched her back legs, but was moving around enough to reassure me of her health.

Kalina pushed herself of her knees a few feet away, jumping up and shaking her head. "Like the enemy is going to show her any mercy." She retook her stance in front of Caden, ready to rumble again, always ready for a fight. I wasn't sure what to say to her smartness, so I just brushed it off as her being herself. We were still waiting on Jason and McKayla to show up, McKayla being called away to a last-minute emergency in the infirmary and Jason just being late. Yes, it was going to be interested to get this team working together. If my own thoughts weren't enough confirmation though, I heard a soft, squeaky voice squabbling with a deep, soft voice walking down the corridors, which were made of seemingly paper-think metal due to a lack of resources. They had been so focused on making the out defense strong that the inside of the base had a weak internal structure. No one had ever made it inside one of the Resistance bases, but it scared me to think of the devastation had it ever happened. Still, everything had its weaknesses. Even the strongest walls came down at some point.

"So you're telling me you think the mechanical achievements of Mech Division 12 are more substantial than the improvements that we've made in the Med Core?"

The voice was upset, even threatened by the thought of such notions. It only took me a second to guess who was behind the defensive voice as the two ducks strolled into the gym. McKayla spun on her heels, which I quickly became irritated she was wearing since this was supposed to be _combat_ training, and snapped off, "It doesn't do our side any good to be able to blow up the enemy if you don't have anyone to put the weapon in place."

Jason smiled warmly, nodding his eagerness and understanding. "I agree, but you have to acknowledge that we would still be in bondage if it weren't for the advances we've made in order to take control of the old work camps and overtake the drones."

McKayla shrugged, giving up on the argument all together as she sauntered towards me in what I just realized to be a skirt. _Oh, she's in for it now._ I held most of the sharpness inside, though, managing to reduce my damaging words to an inquiry.

"McKayla, I thought we all agreed that this would be our combat training time. Why are you wearing a skirt and heels?"

McKayla stood straight with her shoulders squared facing me, as if she were actually going to fight me in her inappropriate attire.

"Yes, combat training. For those who'll be in combat. Namely, not me, the trained _medic_ on the team." She crossed her arms as if to challenge my authority, her eyes ravenous looking over me as if she intended to devour my every ounce of courage. Fortunately Caden came to my rescue for what wouldn't be the last time.

"McKayla, we all have our own roles to play, but victim shouldn't be one of them. If one or all of us gets kidnapped, we all need to be ready to defend ourselves and each other. Not to mention combat training develops us as a team, showing us our strengths and weaknesses. Clearly you're already showing yours with your attitude, but we all know no one here is perfect." He chastised her in the perfect father-like tone, a cross between loving concern and fear for safety. It amazed me how he could be so genuinely loving and stern without showing any sharpness or anger in his voice.

I for one could barely keep in the smile that tugged at my beak as he did so. Not because he got the better of her, but because I knew he was there for me, and for the team. It was the feeling of knowing someone was there for you when you didn't know what to say, but they're wouldn't speak until you were punched in the throat and incapable of talking yourself.

It didn't escape me when McKayla accepted Caden's criticism as she crept out of the gym silently to go change. Kalina slid over by Amber and replaced me as mentor, while Jason took a stance in front of Caden. After watching a few rounds between the two, I noted the softness in Kalina's approach to Amber despite her chastising me, and it gave me hope. Perhaps she had noticed Caden's gentle reprieve on McKayla and it had touched her. Or she was pretending to gain her trust, and then take her down hard like she loved to do. I watched her for a couple more rounds, and she didn't seem any more aggressive than before. It was enough to make me think that just maybe we would work as a team after all. Though the pieces were jagged, it seemed like the puzzle was starting to come together, and everything was slowly being revealed. Not the way I had hoped, with a perfect team of commandos barging onto every planet in the galaxy with guns blazing and full of DuCaine-worthy pride, but a little humility didn't hurt anyone.

"HYUH!"

My eyes glanced over just in time to see Kalina land a punch right in the midsection of her significantly smaller counterpart, throwing her to the ground gasping for breath. I sighed deeply, reconsidering my choice of thought.

_Or maybe we're just screwed._


	3. Learning the Hard Way

Learning the Hard Way

I felt my body ache as I slammed the end of my fist into the control panel for my door. It squealed to life, slowly dragging through the metal track in the floor and opening the entrance way into my room. Hard to believe this was high living anymore. I limped into the room meekly, collapsing backwards onto the small bed that lay in the end of the small bunker. _Thank the stars there's no one here to see me tonight._ I always thought I was something special, being top of the class in the academy, best in combat for my rank, top dog just about everywhere I stood. Now I had to start over, bottom of the heap again. Maybe I had the credentials, the knowledge to engage in this, but the experience wasn't there. My abdomen proved that to me with its new canvas-like appearance, having been painted shades of blue and purple by kicks and punches. _Maybe I'm just showing just showing my lack of esteem._ Mallory had always told me people could read that in you. I felt like I was particularly bad at that, being the youngest in a military family. Everyone loved to remind me of how inadequate I was, how I would never be as good as Kiril or Mallory, who had broken countless academy records. Maybe I was top of _my_ class, but it wasn't the same. There wasn't the same amount of pride in my actions as for them. _Maybe that's the real reason he's sending me instead. Harland's his only hope now._

I still couldn't believe him. Warran had gone too far with this one. My own father, sharing his utter shame for his own son in front of the new pride of Puckworld. Well, father is what they told me to call him anyway; I had a few names for him, but that one never quite made it on the list. I knew the real reason he didn't want to send him, but it wasn't any better than his given one. Ever since Kiril had died at the beginning of the invasion, he hadn't been the same person. Even I couldn't blame him for it, though. I still grimaced when I saw the transmission from Dragaunus. Having to stare down your own son's death and not blink for the sake of the Resistance—it was the boldest action I'd ever seen in my life, even if I hated him for it.

Sighing at the memories I couldn't think away, I managed to force myself to a sitting position on my tiny bed. Glancing at the scant shower to my right, my body cried out for the relief of the steamy hot water pouring over my feathers. The bunker was one of the best in the base, having two bunk beds, two dressers that were in decent repair, and best of all a shower. There were only four rooms in the entire base that had showers attached, and this was the only "common" one. Since the invasion hit, this really was luxury. Water was so scarce that actually having it in your room was a privilege. I was lectured everyday by my commanders on how good of a soldier I must be to have such an honor. Only a few people actually knew the truth about it. It wasn't privilege at all. I snickered silently, shaking my head in dismay. It was funny how he always showed his love in his "favoritism" towards us, if you could call it that_._ The only time he really bragged about us was when it was in front of his comrades, when he could prove that he had been able to serve the military and raise an exceptional family. _Some family we had._

My feet slipped of the bed, instantly hitting the ground with a _THUMP_. I noticed my combat boots were still on my feet, stuck like glue to feathers. I reached down and clicked the snap at the base of them, slipping of the burden I had forgotten was even there. I suppose that's the way I lived, forgetting the past, the burdens that were there. Standing up, I was just headed for the door to the shower when I caught a flash of red in the corner of my eye. I turned, realizing it was just the picture I kept next to my bedside. It was the four of us, young, happy, on DuCaine's Day with our mom. I turned away instantly, making an escape for the shower where my tears could blend in with the water that fell. Making quick work of my clothes, I started the water and set a towel next to the shower on top of the toilet. For a while, I just sat and watched the water fall. Even though I was fighting tears, it felt like giving up to let the water run down me. Finally, I could no longer take its promise of warmth and cleansing feeling, and climbed in.

I didn't know why I kept that picture there, every time I saw it made me cry. I missed her so much, I missed Kiril so much. Now Mallory was gone, as far as we knew, and I was stuck with Warran and Harland. I didn't really have a reason to resent Harland, he was my brother. It was just painful to be around him, he was so much like Kiril. I knew that dad hadn't kept Harland because he wasn't qualified, that was just an excuse. He needed someone, someone to remind him of his son. Someone to remind him that he hadn't sacrificed him meaninglessly. I stared into the silver faucet, my beak and cherry red hair distorted in the round surface, becoming nothing more than a freakish blob. That's how I felt, a freakish blob, not worth keeping around.

I shut off the water, not wanting a lecture from my wing ward about the great position I was in. I kicked my clothes to the side, deciding to deal with consequences of my bunk mates' wrath tomorrow. Even though it was 20 degrees outside, it was so warm in this section of the compound that I could never go bed with more than a tank top and shorts on. That was the current choice of clothing as I slid under the covers, hoping that maybe just for tonight I could shoo away the demons of the past and fall asleep. Luckily, I was so tired from the beating I took that even my body couldn't resist the lull of a sweet, dreamless sleep, and I fell into oblivion.

**Mess Hall of the Resistance base, 0600 hours, the next morning**

I couldn't believe how crowded it was in here. Noise seemed to pour out from every crevice, corner and beak in the room. Between the metal chairs that groaned every time you stood up and sat down, and the unusually high volume of ducks that inhabited the only dining hall of the Nest, there was no peace to be found. Today I was sitting with some of my old friends from Beakburn Academy, the ones that had survived, anyway. I figured it wasn't long until I was gone too, so I might as well use the few days I had left to wish them well. Most of them were my age or younger, and since there were no schools for any avians over the age of 14 anymore, they were all helping out with the rebuilding of the city. It was hard labor, but it gave them something to do, and for the military it kept the would-be delinquents out of trouble for the time being.

The three ducks I sat with today were all amazed when I told them about the mission I was being sent on, what was now being called Mission Remember 7. They were more interested in hearing than I was telling. Normally I loved unfurling dramatic stories, sharing the passion and emotion as the heroes fought valiantly for their loved ones, until there very end. It was different when you were talking about your end, or learning about someone you loved having ended. That was one of the things I hadn't been able to shake since talking to my father. I really felt there was no hope, not just in finding Mallory, but in finding her alive. After seeing Dragaunus' work first-hand, I knew all too well what heroism ended in.

"So, you're like, really going to be on a ship, with commandos and weapons, searching the galaxy for them?" A beige colored mallard with dark brown hair asked, enthusiasm seeping through her words until they were saturated with excitement. She was sitting on the edge of her sit straight across from me, her fork looking like a weapon she was about to attack me with. I just sort of nodded and picked at the food on my plate, trying to eat something that would keep me going for the day. Eventually I gave up on it and just took a sip of the steamy brown liquid in my cup, some sort of weird energy enriched drink they'd discovered on some alien planet and were trying to import onto Puckworld.

"Aw, 'Ber," Another female duck, this one sitting next to me, cooed in a semi-soothing, semi-patronizing voice. "Is everything alright honey?"

I shrugged again. What could I say? Sorry I'm not in a talking mood on account that my brother is dead and I'm being sent to find my sister, who's also probably dead, but it's ok because I'm getting away from my bastard of a father in a week. Probably won't ever come home again, but y'know, it's all good. I knew they were expecting something of a response, so I just faked a smile and lied.

"Oh, I'm just tired from all the extra training. I'm jazzed though, only one week and I'll be on my first real mission." I widened my eyes, making them gleam as if I was a young teenager in love.

"There's our Amber, now make us proud." The girl squeezed me as if to reassure that I was somehow their pride and joy. She probably felt that way, but I couldn't force myself to agree with her.

"Yup," I chirped, a silly grin engulfed my true demeanor. I just couldn't bear to pass reality onto these kids yet. I knew they were my age, but they didn't know what was really left for us. There was nothing left for us but a broken world that we had to fix, all because our fathers wanted "peace". All because _my_ father wanted peace. I noticed a drake of probably twenty-five eye my friends and nod, signaling that breakfast was over. They all either sighed and frowned, protesting the labor they knew they had to do. They were mostly protesting on the principle of having to work, though. They knew that whatever menial jobs their commanders gave them were still better than lurking around the base with nothing to do but train.

"You guys have a good day, ok?" I smiled, genuinely this time.

The dark haired mallard faked a dramatic sigh, singing in a faux-melancholy voice, "We'll try to bear the burdens of the world while you play around here all day." I knew she was kidding, but I actually agreed with her.

"I think you really are the real heroes, rebuilding Puckworld 'n all." I offered back softly, taking another sip of the brown liquid.

"Yeah, whatever." She winked back at me, trudging behind the other drakes, all of whom were making their way to the commander. He was standing in the same spot as before, waiting for them as if his fledglings had fallen behind and needed to catch up. It made me smile, the thought of seeing fledglings pop up again. I hadn't seen any since the war ended, but there were rumors going around of all kinds of avians hooking up in military bases. Even though our world had been bled dry, maybe there was some life left in. It may not have been much, but at least there was life left. Maybe, just maybe, there was even a glimmer of hope for us.

"Amber!"

A deep voice called my name from behind, beckoning my presence. I turned around, seeing Caden standing next to a table where the rest of the team was sitting. I wasn't sure what to do really, so I picked up my cup and walked over, sliding next to Jason who was sitting next to the chair on the end.

"Saved a seat for you." He smiled, nodding towards my new home.

"Thanks." I smiled back. It was a kind gesture, but it made me wonder about the drake I was sitting next to. Jason was kind, but such an odd ball. He was inexplicably nice, but not in a creepy way, like I was afraid of him staring at me when I walked or was training. It was just in a very friendly way, a friendly way that was almost too friendly. Maybe it was just because his sister scared the crap out of me, and I wondered why it wasn't genetic like my family, which was scary and creepy and military through and through. Still, I couldn't fathom how someone as nice as Jason grew up with someone like Kalina, who was in a category all her own. Serenity interrupted my thoughts about the Lightwings, though, reminding us all of our impending doom—I mean mission.

"Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Amber." Serenity nodded my way, though I couldn't tell if it was sincerely flattering, or utterly humiliating. Sometimes it was hard to tell if she was being , or just really try to show that she was in charge. I opted to believe the later, but it was probably due to my skepticism of late.

"General McMallard finally released the briefing to me for us to look over," She started, fingering a manila envelope that I hadn't noticed was in her hands, "We'll go over it in the hanger, when Jason will introduces us to our new bird." She paused again, nodding towards Jason, who smiled again, though this time it was a little less creepy.

"From there we'll make our plans to get everything ready to head out. I wanted to let you all know so you could tie up any loose ends you have. In one week, we'll be off this planet, and gone for at least three months, or until we find our heroes and bring them home." She ended strong, with no fear in her voice for what was surely a suicide mission. We had no idea what was out there, and she was touting her absolute confidence in our success. It seemed foolish to me, but I was raised with skeptics, so I decided to give it a chance. So far Serenity has been pretty gracious to me; accepting me in my brother's place, training with me, not mocking me. It seemed like she might even be excited to have another girl on the team who was younger. _Younger_. We were all young, all dumb, except Caden.

I glanced at him across the table, pretending to look a few feet past him at a door that kept being swung open and shut. It didn't matter much, though; he wasn't looking at me anyway. He was still focused on Serenity, who stood in the midst of her band of merry ducks. He always seemed so intense, even intimidating at times. It was hard to figure him out, even though I'd known him the longest of anyone here. His family had been "friends" with mine for as long as I could remember, back to when I was just a duckling. "Friends" in the sense that our families had always been in competition for top dog in the military, since they were both multi-generationally involved. Caden and his brothers were never really interested in the tiff between us, though. They just did what they did, wholeheartedly, and without complaint. I admired them, being able to overcome the pettiness that surrounded them and forgive the avianity of their parents. It was something I still hadn't learned yet.

_Maybe that's what losing your family does to you._ I frowned at my own thought, not sure what I even meant by that. Sure, my mom was long gone, as was Kiril. Maybe even Mallory was even lost forever, I didn't know really know though. Caden had to live with his family—or really, lack thereof, every day. That's what being a military family really means, when times get tough, and you're dedicated. _It means losing everything._ Not only had his parents passed away fighting for the freedom of Puckworld, but his older brother, Breaker Thunderbeak, was gone too. And with Canard running off to fight Dragaunus with his little Strike Force Team, who knew where he was.

I hadn't realized my beak had turned into a frown until Caden gave me a cold look, eyes narrowed as if threatened by my stare (I was staring at him by this point, there was no mistaking it despite the door behind him.)

"Something wrong, McMallard?" He asked sternly, giving no indication of the military-bending kindness he'd shown me yesterday. I finally snapped out of my thought-trance, shaking my head in utter humiliation.

"No, sir." I uttered humbly, letting my stare fall to my lap just to avoid the stare from his deep brown eyes.

"We're teammates now, McMallard. No need to call me sir." He offered, practically shoving the token of peace in my lap with his commanding gift. I debated whether to be the token McMallard in the situation, and shove his peace offering back at him with a witty comeback. I was seriously considering it until I remember I actually had to live with him for what would probably end up being three months, if not more. I guess I chickened out of the McMallard way, returning his comment with a softer reply,

"Sounds good, Caden."

It was practically a whisper, but it didn't really matter. It's not like the drake had any real respect for me anyway. At least, not any that I knew of. Serenity nodded approvingly at Caden, as if he had done some wonderful dead by forcing his peace on me, and then sat down in her seat, as if to suggest the brief team meeting was over. I dismissed myself from the rest of the conversation early, asking for time to bid my adieu to my friends, though I had already done so earlier.

Escaping out the same door I had been pretending to stare at, I practically ran down the corridors to my bunker. It was sad how pathetic I felt, how pathetic I was. The only thing I could really do was try to pretend long to convince them that I was worth keeping around, and then maybe someday I would actually be able to fly with my own two wings. It was worth trying, anyway. It couldn't be any worse than running off with six commandos and abandoning the only family I had left. _And man did she ever make dad proud._

I slammed my fist into the button for my room again, this time for a different reason. It slid open, creaky as ever, and I sauntered in for show. No one was in here, again, probably because they were all out rebuilding like I should have been. I glanced over once more at the picture that stood beside my bed, just to remind myself one more time, that even for one moment in time, I had indeed had a family. Sure enough they stood there, faking smiles and everything. I hadn't remembered seeing Warran in the picture yesterday, or recalled it for any number of times before, but it was probably because I hadn't wanted to see him there. There he stood though, watching over us though, reminding us all that we were a family, and we damn sure better act like it. _We damn sure better act like it._


	4. Making Plans

Making Plans

"_Kalinaaaaa!" I wailed, tears pouring out from my precious young face. I reached my small, tender hands in the air, trying to reach the toy she held over my head, but it was to no avail. "That's my Starx action figure." I whined, but she shoved her hand in my face, pushing me over into a snow bank behind me. She didn't even care about the leading right wing of the Hockey Conference League championship team; she was in it for my misery._

"_We can't get everything we want in life, Jase. Deal with it." She started walking through the ice-laden ally back to our house, but I wasn't going to give up that easily. I pushed myself up, running after her like a duck possessed. I threw all of my 80-pounds worth of flesh and feathers into her midsection, ramming her right into the side of a garage door. It didn't take much after that for me to rip the toy out of her feathers, as she stared at me shocked in disbelief. I may have been young, but I was full of heart, and I didn't ever give up._

"_Saurian butt! I'm telling mom," she hissed, pushing me aside and running full-speed back to our house. It didn't matter though, because I had everything I wanted._

I smiled to myself as memories flooded my mind, grinning at my own mischievous nature. Kalina couldn't forget to this day that I may have been younger than her, but I wasn't someone to be pushed around. Most of the time, anyway. Sometimes I just wanted peace with her so badly I would give her what she wanted. It never really satisfied her, but I would try anyway.

Frowning at the thought, I pulled out my wallet, which contained the last photo that existed of my family. It was a blurry picture at best, with snow falling around us, and the camera man was shaky. You could even see just the tiniest bit of his wing in the edge of the picture, a soft peachy color. _Dad._ I smiled every time I saw it, because it was the only picture I had of him. Even though it was only his figure, it said so much about his personality. He was always goofing off, making light of the world and the heartache in it. If only Kalina would see the world that way, life would've been so much easier. No such luck though, as fate would have it. She'd rather assert her opinions as facts, and discourage everyone around her with her cutting words and depressing attitude.

Regardless of her opinions or personality, there she stood right next to me, arms folded and a smirk filling her beak. It was uncharacteristic, considering I couldn't even remember a time in my life that she'd been happy. All I could ever remember was her anger at mom for her supposed sins. Not that I really thought they were sins, it was hard for me to think of it that way since they were "sins" that lead to my life. Kalina's mind worked differently though, I guess. To her, faithfulness meant living your life in devotion to the past, and even the dead.

I changed my target on the photo, glancing behind where Kalina and I stood, to see the beautiful thirty-two year old mallard that gave birth to us. She was smiling, even laughing as her husband took the picture. Her beige feathers seemed to glow, only outdone by her magical green eyes, set inside a forest of dark brown shoulder length hair. She was so happy, so magnificent looking. Maybe it was just because she was my mother, and I'd always heard that sons always wanted someone like their mother, that I was so enamored with her beauty. Look at her made in that much more difficult to look at the last little cutie in the picture, who was a mere pipsqueak in comparison to the two of us. At the time, the little fledgling had only been eleven, and was barely tall enough to make it in the photo. Still, there she was, shining in all her similarities and differences on my right side.

Cherise was a cutie-pie, as my father had always called her. She was small and stout, with a strong build for her favorite thing in the world, figure skating. She had been skating since before she could walk, like most of the inhabitants of our planet, but had never picked up a hockey stick, except to hand it to myself or Kalina. She was too tender-hearted for the sport, though the games I played in were always fairly tame and never had any un-sportsman like behavior. She happily trudged to the side for every single one of my games though, cheering me on, encouraging me to play with all my heart. As long as she wasn't on the ice, she was ok with playing side kick.

I bit my beak, knowing this wasn't going to be easy for her. She had been placed with a family that was taking care of her, and that was hard enough. When she found out we were leaving her, she was going to be heart broken. We had yet to find out parents (not that Kalina cared) and she was already having a hard time adjusting to the new school that she had just started attending. As much as I wanted to refuse, it was hard to say no to the same man who gave me the shot I needed to make my mark in the military, and saved me from the work camps. Very few people were given that opportunity and I needed to stay on his good side.

Sighing, I replaced the picture back in my wallet, and returned the leather to the back pocket of my pants. I had to tell her sometime, and tonight was going to have to be it, since we left in four days. Yes, tonight was the night.

I felt frozen in place, standing in front of a seemingly enormous metal that created the bottom half of the face for a relatively large home. The eyes of the home were two large, square windows on either sides of the door, though you couldn't see inside them because of the dark purple curtains that adorned the window. The top half of the house was not in nearly as good repair, as the roof was peeling and the side of the house had been smashed in and covered up with a tarp. Surprising to our alien visitors, it was one of the best looking houses in the suburbs of the DuCaine Metropolitan area. Very little was left in neighborhood in the way of houses. There was one several meters down the street, and two across the block. Many of the others around were ruined, or in such disrepair that they had been abandoned and were frozen over with ice and a blanket of snow.

It was an easy distraction for me, getting caught up in the ruins, imagining how I could all of the brokenness around me. I had been doing it for years, with machines and people. I always thought of people as being a little mechanical at heart, what with having to keep up the ol' body with food to keep it running, exercise to keep it moving well, and clothes to keep its appearances up. People weren't too different from machines, except they talked back. I guess that was the hardest part for me dealing with people—I would try to help, and they'd take my advice and shove it back in my face. At least machines accepted it passively, understanding that they needed someone who could see what was wrong from the outside, someone with schematics, and wasn't involved with the issues inside the engine.

My eyes trailed back to the door that stood in front of me, and I realized I was doing it again. _Way to go. No wonder why they call you Space Jase…_ I sighed, finally mustering up the courage to pound on the door. I heard some shuffling, following by someone punching in a code. The metal door slid open, and in front of me stood my sister, with her brilliant smile shining. Her face was lit up, her beak grinning from one side to the other. _If only it would stay that way._ I pushed past the thought, grinning back and wrapping her up in my arms and pulling her close. At least for now she was safe in my arms.

"You're just in time, Jase!" She squeaked, breaking our embrace. "We were just about to sit down for lunch!" She didn't give me a second to protest, pulling me inside with all of the strength she had in her tiny body. She dragged me through the quaint living room, filled with small, refurbished furniture and nick knacks that had a strong nostalgic feel to them. I wanted to tear away from her, to pull her aside and explain why I was here. I couldn't push myself to do it though, allowing her to walk me through half the house until we reached the dining room where her foster parents had prepared a meager meal for the three of them. I felt like an intruder stepping into their house, eating there food when I already had plenty, and so many were barely surviving. I knew they were fine; they had not only survived the invasion but were also wise enough to have liquid assets and some weird commodity that was highly desirable saved somewhere. It had saved their lives from being like the rest of the civilians, who were either living in shelters or military bases while they waited for the reconstruction to happen.

We had just arrived in the dining room when her foster parents stepped out of the kitchen with some sort of mixed dish. They smiled from cheek to cheek when they saw me, as they always did. They loved having someone to help out with Cherise. They were older mallards, close to their fifties, and had confessed to me on several occasions that Cherise could be a handful at times, and it was nice having her brother as a role model and an extra set of hands when they needed help. I didn't mind it all, since I wanted Cherise to stay with me anyway. I had never managed to get anyone in the base on my side, though, since Kalina refused to let her stay with her and Cherise had no interest in joining the military, even for defensive reasons.

"Jason dear, it's so nice to see you!" The mallard was average sized, not very tall, with beige feathers. She had a warm demeanor, exhibiting a kind of gentle spirit that appealed deeply to me. She was as kind to me as my own mother, and she made it easy for me to trust the both of them with my sister. Her husband stood next to her, tall and lean, with feathers two shades darker than his wife. He was a quiet man, but he never concerned me much as he mostly kept to himself. He had run a little shop down the street before the invasion hit, and he lost the store and his stock. He was intelligent though, having handled both the store and working as a financial consultant for many clients both public and private. Currently he was serving the military in the financial rebuilding of Puckworld as a consultant for economic hardship, trying to help the avians who were devastated by the avians to get back on their feet.

"Thanks," I offered up softly, trying hard to avoid making eye contact with them. I had been so focused on the conversation I was going to have with Cherise that I had forgotten about the very family that was taking care of her; and me for that matter. I had no idea what they were going to think about our little mission to reclaim some heroes I had never met, and didn't even care about, for that matter.

"Well, come on then," she urged, setting down the dishes and sitting down. I smiled, but I knew the politeness could only last so long. I had to talk to Cherise, and I was due back at the base in two hours for our missions briefing.

"I'm sorry, I'll have to politely decline today. I just need a moment to speak with my sister."

The woman frowned, but seemed to understand as she cast a glance at Cherise and nodded her approval. "Alright, if you need to. Just don't take her anywhere without letting her eat first." She winked at me in a comforting, motherly way. I kind of wished I could just forget it though. It was unjustly soothing, and I felt I had no right to be comforted with the news I was bringing.

"I promise I'll bring her back," I whispered, managing a bleak smile for her. Cherise was still standing next to me with a sideways glance that expressed her absolute curiosity, head tilted to the side in her adorable own way. It was so hard for me to even look at her with that cheerful face. Still, time was of the essence. I grabbed her wing this time, pulling her back through the house the same way we had come in. Finally we made it to the front porch, where the ice cold breeze ran up my spine and chilled me to the core. I suppose it was only fair to feel the same way physically that I did emotionally as I sat down on the porch steps, offering Cherise the seat next to me. She obliged, seating down and leaning her head on my shoulder like she had since we were young. It was so oddly calming that it gave me the strength to speak though the cold threatened my breath with silence. Still, I took a deep breath, pushing back the chills and finally plunging into the ice cold water.

"Cherise, there's something important I have to tell you." I whispered so timidly I wondered if I wasn't a coward. I couldn't even speak to my own kid sister.

"Alright, go on." She urged, nuzzling her beak into me side. It tickled, but was sweet and full of love at the same time.

"Kalina and I are going to be gone for a while. We've been chosen to go on this mission, see, and it's really important to a lot of people." Cherise broke her nuzzle-fest to look up into my eyes, as if to ask some profound question without uttering a word. She seemed a little taken a back, but recovered quickly and smiled.

"That's ok Jason, you've been on missions before. How long is this one, a week? Two weeks?" She seemed less thrilled about the later, but was willing to give me up for the good of our home.

_This is going to be harder than I thought…_ I broke her stranglehold with my eyes, looking at the snow that covered the sidewalks in a white powdery covering. "It's going to be longer than that, Cherise." I whispered softly, returning my eyes to hers. She frowned, pulling back from her touch and digging her boots into the concrete pavement.

"So…" She asked hoarsely, refusing to look me in the eyes, "How long will it be then?"

I sighed, wrapping my right arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. I could smell her fruity scented shampoo that she loved so much. It always made me laugh, because ever since she was a little girl it was all she would use, no matter what we offered her.

"I don't know, Cher. It may be as little as a few weeks, or as long as three months."

"Three months!" She cried, pulling away and pushing my arm of her shoulder.

"Cher, I don't really want to be gone that long but—"

"Can't you just say no?" She pleaded. Her eyes were full of hurt and disappointment. She looked as though she were stemming a waterfall of tears behind her green eyes.

"I would, but it's really important to a lot of people."

She seemed offended by the notion, throwing back, "Well, what about our family? I don't want to be alone."

"You won't be though," I offered, gently reminding her of the presence of the Ridlen family. She didn't want to hear it though, as she crossed her arms and refused any sort of contact with me. It was hurtful, but I knew she was only reflecting the pain she was feeling herself. I was already being devoured by feelings of guilt and sympathy, but I couldn't think of any way out. The general had really saved my whole family, what with Kalina and I working in the military, and Cherise being able to have a foster family. Most kids were either in orphanages or roaming around on their own, and Cherise had the luxury of being with some of the used-to-be wealthiest mallards on the planet. I had to be firm, and show her the importance of this. This guilt-trip way of life wasn't going to help her last long, especially when our world was still being put back together.

"Cherise, I love you sis. But this is important to a lot of my friends. Many of them lost their families, and they want to find them. I promise I'll be back for you. I'm not just leaving you here, but you have to be strong while I'm gone, ok?" I turned her head towards me, and though her eyes were full of tears, she nodded her head in agreement. I smiled, pulling her close to reassure her that I was a drake of my word. "I'll be back for you, kid."

_I promise._

I didn't feel right leaving her without spending more time there, but I was already running late when I headed back. We had sat and talked for a good two hours after I made my pledge to her. She finally came around to agreeing that it was for the best, and she would focus on school and figure skating in the meantime. I hoped she would, I didn't want her to think about us—well, me, anyway—while we were gone.

I looked around the hanger, wondering where my teammates were, as it was already ten minutes past when we said we were meeting. _I hope I didn't miss anything._ I frowned, my eyes scanning the large equipment for any signs of life outside the other mechanics working on equipment and machines around me. There was no one to be seen, though, not even an animal. I decided to sit on the open edge of the Soar Wing, figuring that either the times were mixed up or they were running late. It wasn't more than a minute later when I heard my communications line light up, and a opened it to take the call.

"Jason, this is Serenity," I heard a soft, crackled voice come to life on the black thin unit on my wrist.

"Serenity?" I asked, staring at the black circular unit, puzzled.

"Where are you Jason? You were supposed to meet us briefing room ten minutes ago."

I paused a moment to think, to try and push myself to remember what she said a day ago when we were talking about our agenda, but my mind was blank. _Damnit._

"I'll be there in two minutes Serenity, promise!" I slapped my communicator shut, my feet pushing off against the cold steel floor as I raced to the briefing room. Walls and avians passed by as mere blurs, meaningless and void of personality as I raced against my own stupidity. _Really, Jason, really. You're just being one sharp drake today, aren't ya?_

I wasn't normally one to be so down on myself, but between Cherise and forgetting the brief I helped set up, I couldn't help but feel like a moron. I skidded to a screeching halt in front of a room with a gold plate nailed on the wall to the left. The plate's inscription read:

_Briefing Hall 23_

_Authorized personnel ONLY_

There was nothing more that I wished to be right now than non-authorized personally, but I sucked it up, hitting the button and activating the soft groan of the metal as it glided against the floor.

A room full of avians all looked towards me as I entered, with looks ranging from frustration to looks that smacked me upside the head with how hopeless I was. I tried to push past the thoughts, playing it off with a grin and taking a seat in the chair nearest the door. "Sorry!" I blurted, trying to relieve the tension that filled the air like smog that made it hard to breathe. Maybe it was just my breathe that was stolen, but it helped anyway. The ducks attention returned to Serenity, who had paused her briefing for my arrival.

"Thank you for joining us, Mr. Lightwing," She jabbed softly, winking at me.

"Oh, delighted to be here miss," I offered back.

She smiled, shaking her head and returning to the real matter at hand, "Alright, now that _all _of our teammates our here, I can share what the general had given me for a missions brief."

" 'Bout damn time." I heard my sister mutter, switching the position of her legs, which were situated on the desk.

"Ahem." Serenity glared, "I believe I was talking. About _our mission_."

Kalina shrugged, nodding her head in cessation. "Continue then, oh wise leader."

"As I was saying, our mission's purpose is clear, but our direction is quite so obvious. As you all know, Puckworld's technology was devastated after the takeover, and it's making our path a little more difficult than we originally anticipated. Currently our course is to set out in four days, given all goes smoothly with requisitioning our supplies, and weather provided."

McKayla was the interrupter this time, crossing her arms and pushing back at the young avian. "Would you mind being a little more direct, Serenity? You're dancing around the details, give us the specs here, darling."

Serenity nodded, taking a deep breath and pushing forward. "Ok, well, here's the part where it gets interesting. We don't really know exactly where the strike force team ended up. What the general has suggested as a solution is to visit Puckworld's outposts in different quadrants and to gather as much information as we can. Many of our embassies have teleporters that could help us move through the galaxy, should we need to, as well as provide us with supplies for our mission. Now I know this is a little unsettling considering the danger in—"

"So we're just going to go trapsing around the galaxy, acting like tourists looking for a lost kid? Why don't we just put up lost hero signs all over the intergalactic trading post boards." Kalina spit out, her eyes narrowing and her voice growing dark.

"Hey, what other choice do we have?" I piped in, "It's not like you have a magical locator that's going to tell us where they are, and isn't that why this is so important? Aren't we doing this because if they could find their way back, they would've by now?"

Caden stood up from his position sitting quietly in the back of the room, making his way towards the door.

"Caden, where are you going?" Serenity asked, sounding like she was on the verge of breaking down in similar fashion to our team meltdown.

Caden looked Serenity directly in the eyes, drilling her harsher than I had ever heard before, "I'm not going to sit around listening to this, this _bickering_, while my brother, and our own flesh and feathers are out there. For DuCaine's sake, I'll find them myself if I have to. Have fun fighting over the small details that don't mean a damned thing, I'll be out actually getting something done." With that, the drakes eyes turned towards the door, refusing to even acknowledge the rest of us who were still sitting there.

It was rare for Caden to act or talk like that, and he left us all sitting in shock. It was a solid two minutes before anyone could say anything, but eventually we came around. Amber was actually the first to speak up, chirping in her usual sarcastic tone, "So this whole intergalactic chase for heroes, kind of stressful, huh?"

**A/N: ** Sorry about the length, it was supposed to contribute to his character development, and it got a little out of hand. Oh yeah, and the angst. xD Good luck figuring out that one. Anyway, next update will take awhile because of school.


End file.
